PARADISE RIGHT HERE IN CENTRAL PARK
by PamEargle
Summary: It's Wednesday Addams' Wedding Day. Of course things don't go as planned. Based on the Broadway Musical THE ADDAMS FAMILY. Set after the events we see on stage.
1. One Normal Night

I have always loved the ADDAMS FAMILY, now even more that there is a Broadway musical starring my beloved Nathan Lane as Gomez and the amazing, perfect Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia.

I am having so much fun with this!

* * *

Morticia Addams sighed deeply as the deathlike sleep released her. Without opening her eyes or moving, she let a small smile grow on her slender, thin, blood-red lips.

Today was the first wedding in the Addams Family for… decades. Her daughter Wednesday would be marrying Lucas Beineke from Ohio. It had been a month since what had become known as 'The Dinner.' Things had changed dramatically and they would change even more profoundly after 8 O'clock tonight. She was, as Gomez had eloquently put it, Happy/Sad. It was how he himself felt. She was proud and happy that her daughter had become the young woman she had become and that she had found her true love. But she was sad that she was grown up and leaving home… as all parents are when times such as these come. She finally turned towards the warm mass pressed to her back, the black satin sheets ruffling as she snuggled close. Her eyes fluttered open and gazed at her beloved husband. His eyes were closed, but she knew he was awake. She laid her arm across his belly and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, snuggling as close to his side as humanly possible. She watched a soft smile spread across his thick, small lips. They took a deep breath in unison and exhaled slowly, staying silent and relaxed.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, her voice low in timbre and quiet, her lips brushing his ear as she spoke.

"Marriage," he answered matter-of-factly, his light Spanish accent lilting his cheerful yet serious tone.

"What ABOUT marriage?" she prodded gently before placing a kiss to his temple.

"About how wonderful it is, how hard it is and how easy it is to make it hard… How I almost married another," he sighed, knowing

That made Morticia pause. "Would you be happier if you had married my sister?" she questioned, letting her hand drift up and down his chest from the collar of his button up black satin pajama top to his waist.

He snorted with indigence. "I wouldn't be happy at all, my darling," he chuckled.

"But you wouldn't know any better," she countered, obviously wanting to explore the topic.

"'Let's not think of such things," he said, rolling them so he had her gently pushed into the fluffy, firm, perfect mattress with his body weight, their hips rubbing together. He pressed his forehead to hers. He knew from the look in her black eyes she needed to hear him say he wanted to say now. "I married YOU, cara mia… I love only YOU… Your sister and I… Yes, we were engaged… But I had not yet met YOU, my Gothic Beauty," he crooned, gently pinning her arms above her head and running his hands through her long, straight, jet black hair. "If we had not met then, we would have met later, AFTER the marriage… And it would have been MUCH more painful for Ophelia," he said. He paused for refection and effect. "For we are meant to be and one way or the other, we would have ended up right here… JUST like this… Somehow, someway…"

Morticia cast her eyes down and away from his sparking brown orbs. "So… Here we are. Twenty years later…" she said.

"There is no where else I would rather be," he assured his beloved wife. He bent his head to press his lips to hers. They shared a passionate kiss. For a couple who loved the idea of Hell, they loved being in Heaven. THIS was their Heaven, being in each other arms.

"Bubele…" she breathed. "Je t'aime," she cooed, her lips barely parting from his.

He stopped mid movement. "'Tish! That's French!" he giggled. He took her hand in his and kissed tenderly up her arm and her shoulder until he reached her throat.

"Let us tango," she growled, nipping at his ear.

Just then the massive, floor to ceiling wooden door to their bedroom flung open. They pulled awkwardly apart and sat up in unison.

"Mother! Father! It's terrible," the eighteen year old sobbed, throwing herself on the very large, ornately carved, canopied bed with her beloved parents, unnoticing of their intimate position. She grabbed at her mother who instantly pulled her daughter to her breast.

"Paloma, what is it?" Gomez asked, deeply concerned. His daughter was as strong and stoic and confident as his wife, her mother. So whatever it was that had her so upset was surely something troubling.

"Just LOOK! LOOK out the window!" she cried out, pointing, burying her face in her mothers shoulder.

Gomez groaned as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and slipped his feet into his black suede house shoes. He made his way over to the large window and tugged gently at the oversized gold tassel, slowly opening the black velvet drapes. Sun poured into the very large room, bouncing off the hardwood floor, glinting off the solid gold fixtures and the chandelier, causing Gomez to gasp in horror and cover his eyes with his hand and Morticia to shriek as if she were Queen of the Vampires. Wednesday screamed out then, too, began crying harder, doing her best to further disappear into her mother's tight embrace. Gomez dropped his arm back to his side and the thick curtain fell back into place.

"Gomez, darling, DO something!" Morticia said plaintively.

The Spaniard narrowed his eyes, ran his index fingers across his perfectly manicured moustache and pulled himself up to his fullest height. "Right, then! I shall call upon our Ancestors to help!" he declared before marching across the room, going into the bathroom and shutting the door. "AFTER I make myself presentable," he added loudly, to make sure the ladies could hear him.

Wednesday continued to wail as Morticia stroked her hair and rubbed her back.


	2. Full Disclosure

Wednesday gave up and retreated back to her bedroom at her mother's insistance. No need for her to worry, she and Gomez would take care of it all. The only thing SHE needed to do was relax, bathe and dress. The young woman sighed as she closed her door and began her preperations.

The New York City skyline loomed above and legendary Central Park bustled around Morticia as she ventured out under a large black umbrella, her narrowed eyes hidden behind a very large, very expensive pair of Chanel sunglasses. Her black, long-sleeved, floor length dress covered her pale skin entirely. Since their Second Empire style home was right beside famous Belvedere Castle and close to Park Avenue, she didn't have far to walk to find Gomez, settled on a bench facing the Addams Family crypt behind their house. His head was hung, his fingers were laced together and his elbows were resting on his knees. The simple yet elegant Hugo Boss tuxedo he wore was perfectly tailored. He looked sad and lost.

"A penny for your thoughts," she cooed, gracefully lowering herself to sit beside him.

"They can't help," he shrugged, gesturing to the gated tomb. "They say it's not their place," he said. "They say it is MY duty alone to make this day what she wants... But I can not. I can not make ... this... go away," he said, opening his arms and looking up into the bright, beautiful sky.

Morticia leaned over and pressed her shoulder to his. "It was like this the day we were married," she whispered, casually glancing around.

Gomez turned to look into her eyes. She slipped her shades down her pert nose just far enough to wink at him. They smirked. "That is true, querida."

They leaned their heads together and sat silently for a few moments. "I think you know what you have to do," she encouraged, standing up and turning to go back to the house. He watched her go, determination in his heart.

When he opened the massive, elaborately carved wooden door to the home, he found his daughter sitting at the table, her chin-length black hair wet, her slender body wrapped in a big, fluffy black robe. She looked up and gave him a faint, closed mouth smile before returning her attention to the steaming cup of spiced tea in front of her. He closed the door, slipped his hands into his pockets and slowly walked to her side.

"Do you know that I was engaged to your aunt Ophelia and that your mother once dated my brother Alfredo?" he asked.

He watched her brow furrow. "Seriously?" she asked, her voice full of shock. She raised her drink to her lips.

"Uh huh," he nodded. "And we had weather just like this on the day we were wed," he added. "You see how it turned out for us. I don't think you have a thing to worry about," he said. He bent over and kissed the top of her head. She stood up and embraced him. He closed his eyes as he held her tightly. They smiled the same smile. Then she kissed both of his cheeks in turn and hurried up the grand staircase, fire and happiness in her dark eyes once again.

"Where is your mother?" he called after her, a slight chuckle to his voice.

"She's with Pugsley," she called back. "They're in the backyard."

Walking through the large kitchen where the large, lumbering Lurch was preparing the feast with delicate hands, he paused to inspect the Alligator stew that was bubbling in the oversized cauldron. He took a spoonful and sipped it carefully. "Delicious," he commented.

"Thank you," the Giant groaned in his very low Bass voice, turning back to the rattlesnake he was skinning.

Morticia was kneeling in front of the young boy as he sat on the swing in their garden.

"My darling boy, we're all sad she's leaving us, but she is a woman now and ready to live her own life with Lucas."

"But she's my best friend, mother... I will be all alone now..." the chubby 12 year old sighed.

"You have your father and I... And Lurch... and your Grandmama... I think the Monster under your bed would feel sad if you forgot about him," she said, touching the tip of her index finger to the tip of his nose. "What about your Iguana and our Squid?" she continued. She let her fingers cup his chin and lifted his face so their eyes met. "Maybe it's time you started going to the private school across the street," she suggested. "It would be good for you."

"But mother, I won't fit in, I know it..."

"You won't know until you try."

"Try what?" Gomez asked as he approached from behind his wife.

Morticia smiled and glanced up at her husband. "I was telling him that maybe we all need a change and that he should go to the school across the street like we talked about."

Gomez laid his hands on her shoulders and looked at his beloved son. "I think it would be a good idea."

"So you WANT to get rid of me?"

Pugsley's eyes narrowed and his parents laughed. "No... We wouldn't trade you for the moon, but we think it's time you started to think about YOUR future. You'll only be right across the street for a few hours a day. You'll meet new children your age, be more active..." Gomez said.

Both mother and father saw their son's mind working and knew he liked the idea even if he was not ready to admit it.

"Can we talk about it later?" he whined.

"Yes," Morticia said, standing up, nodding and smiled. "Now go get dressed for your sister's wedding," she said, kissing his head.

He ran up the walkway and into the house.

Gomez wrapped his arm around Morticia's waist. "Perhaps we should take that advice."

"Yes... and perhaps we should finish what we started this morning since we will be in our bedroom anyway," she suggested innocently.

"You have a point," he grinned. "Let us go," he said.

They made their way inside, up the stairs and went to Heaven.


	3. PULLED

I know this is short and it's been a while since the last update, but life has not been kind time-wise lately. I promise to update more often from now on.

* * *

After an hour of quiet, the Addams family home came back to life to prepare for the evening. Lucas, who had been staying in the guest room, emerged and he and Gomez took Pugsley down to the basement for some male bonding. Fester came in, lightbulb in mouth, and hurried down to join them. With the men occupied, Morticia and Wednesday planned to work on their outfits before Mal and Alice arrived.

"The men have it easy," the bride-to-be told her mother. "All they have to do is put on a suit and tie," she giggled.

"But Lucas has put a lot of effort into helping you plan this day," the drop-dead gorgeous woman offered as she sat running a brush through her daughter's chin length bob. She paused and sighed, tilting her head as she gazed at their visage in the elaborate Victorian mirror. "It was just yesterday when I was brushing out your LONG hair and braiding it," she said, meeting her daughter's eyes in their reflection.

"I'm not a child anymore, mother," Wednesday said proudly. "I'm about to be married."

"I know... And you're about to leave the only home you've known and go into the world with your new husband," Morticia said quietly.

"Just like you did," she nodded.

"Yes... But we did not have the support of our families. Your father and I ran off. We eloped," she continued, shrugging her shoulders, "We had no money, no home, no one but each other," she confessed, sitting gracefully on the big, fluffy, comfortable bed. "You and Lucas have a very different story," she said, flicking her eyes back up to her daughters.

The teen moved to settle beside her on the bed. "Not really... We love each other just like you and dad... We're young like you and dad were," she offered, nudging her mother gently with her shoulder. She watched understanding come into her dark eyes. "See? We're not THAT different," she smiled.

Morticia nodded and smirked. "I see your point..."

They didn't have time to speak any further because Gomez came into the room.

"I believe we have a problem," he said, lacing his fingers together in front of him.

Lucas came slowly in behind him with Pugsley on his heels. Wednesday jumped up and hurried to Lucas.

"What's up?" she asked.

Lucas held up his iPhone. "Mom just called. They're stuck in traffic... There's no way they can get here in time," he said sadly.

Morticia's black eyes widened and she sat up, settling against the headboard. Gomez crossed the room and climbed in beside her. Pugsley joined them.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Wednesday spoke. "They can be here for the reception..." she offered, nodding.

"I am NOT getting married without them here," Lucas said. "Especially after everything that happened..."

Something inside the young Addams woman changed and she growled. "You don't want to marry me because THEY don't want you to marry me... YOU are using this as an excuse to get out out of it!"

"No, no... I..." the young man tried, opening his arms to her.

By now, Wednesday was sobbing. She held her hand up and closed her eyes. "I don't want to hear it!" she cried out.

Before anyone knew it, she bolted from the room.

Lucas turned and watched her leave. He turned back to Gomez, Morticia and Pugsley.

"Go after her," Gomes said, trying his best to hide the amused smile that threatened to grow across his lips. His wife noticed and gave him a sharp elbow, smirking as she did so. Pugsley giggled.

They young man turned on his heels and followed her. "WEDNESDAY!"


	4. Compromise

"Wednesday, wait!" Lucas called as he swept down the grand staircase. Knowing she would head out to the garden, he hurried through the kitchen and out the backdoor. He found her sitting on the swing, her head bowed as she dug her toes into the dirt. The New York City skyline and mid-afternoon sun surrounded them. He knew she knew was there, but no words were said as he moved to kneel at her feet.

"You know what you said back there wasn't true, right?" he cooed, smirking as he tried to catch her eyes.

She sighed. "Prove it to me."

"How?" he asked.

"Marry me as we planned," she said, finally looking up at him. "I don't want to start our life together pandering to your parents. We need to do our OWN thing... Stand on our own two feet," she said proudly.

"Waiting for them to get here to get married has nothing to do with our independence, it's about respect," he said gently. "After what happened, I would think you'd feel the same. We fought hard to get to where we are. You know they have come to understand you and your family..." he offered, reaching out to take her hands. "They would be hurt if we simply disregarded them," he cautioned.

Deep down, she knew he was right about all of it. But... "People will be coming, the food will get cold..." she worried.

He chuckled lightly. "The people will be fine, we'll just tell them what's going on," he shrugged. "Fester can entertain them. And Lurch can stop cooking," he suggested. "It's not the end of the world," he assured her, leaning in to kiss her.

Wednesday kissed him back, relaxing into his arms. "I just want today to be perfect," she said as they pulled apart a little later.

"As long as you and I are together, it WILL be," he nodded. "We'll be married, I promise."

"Why couldn't they fly?" she sighed. "Normal people FLY," she added, shaking her head.

"They didn't want this to happen. They didn't plan it. It's not their fault..." Lucas said, letting her hands go.

"I never said it was!"

"Just relax. You'll be my wife by the end of the day," the young man said happily.

"Let's give them an hour."

"Two."

"An hour and a half."

Lucas rolled his eyes and chuckled...

... "Mother, I'm bored. What's happening?" Pugsley asked, flopping back on the bed.

"Your sister and Lucas are learning a lesson about marriage," Morticia said.

"Compromise," Gomez said.

"What does that mean?" he asked, sitting back up and looking at his father.

"Sacrifice," he answered.

"You mean they're going to burn each other at the stake or cut each other's guts out and offer their blood?"

The child's parents laughed. "No, no, my boy," Gomez said, turning to his son. "It's about... meeting someone halfway. Like when you want to go play with your monster, but you have not finished your schoolwork. What do we say to you, eh?"

"You tell me I can take a break and come back to finish," he said, understanding a bit.

"That's right," his mother said. "Give a little, take a little. You MUST think of the other person."

"Sometimes MORE than yourself," Gomez added.

"You're certainly very interested in all this," Morticia smirked. "For someone who tried to ruin his sisters relationship, you sure seem to care."

"She's my sister. I want her to be happy... even if what makes her happy makes me sad... Compromise..." he said, smiling, realizing he fully understood.

Wednesday and Lucas had come into the room after hearing the last bit of the conversation.

The teen swept her little brother into her arms and kissed the top of his head. "I'll string you up on the rack everytime I visit," she whispered.

"OK," the boy nodded.


	5. Pomp & Circumstance

Morticia was settled on her red velvet chaise knitting and Gomez was poised as a gentleman would be with a cup of black coffee and the New York Times at the table beside her. It was obvious something he read disturbed him. He rustled the paper and sighed.

"Why do we have dis Valentine's Day?" he questioned. "What makes the 14th of February any more special than the Ides of March or Halloween for expressing love?"

Without looking directly at him, she flicked her eyes to him and then back to her work. "People have to have a reason for everything," she offered, a smile spreading across her blood-red lips. "What brought up Valentine's Day, Bubele? That was a month ago," she chuckled.

He held up the Style Section and pointed to the Engagement Annoucements. "Dees young kids wit dare proposing on a boat in de middle of the Hudson or on top of de Empire State Building. Bah! Such pomp and circumstance!" he declared. "Do I not show you I love you every day? Did you not enjoy how I asked you to marry from the bottom of my heart out of the blue?"

"Yes you do and yes I did, but there is something else you are thinking about," she said, gracefully laying down her needles and yarn before turning to give him her full attention.

Gomez had to smile. She was the only person who knew him completely and totally understood him. "You know me so well, Tish," he cooed.

She nodded, smirking. "Now... What is REALLY on your mind?"

The Spaniard sighed and bowed his head. "I am just worried for our little Attila. I am happy for her, but I am sad she is leaving. I want to see her grow and have a good life, but I also want to have her small with her lovely braids the rest of our life... But that can not be. It's unfair of me to want that..." he said quietly.

"No it is not unfair to want that, it is a parent's right. I feel the same way," Morticia confessed. "I want to keep her with us, too... but we have to let her go," she said.

"Yes, yes, I know... But knowledge does not make the hardest things any easier," he said, looking up to his wife, a sad plead in his eyes.

Morticia rose from her seat and moved to settle on her husband's lap. She kissed the tip of his nose as she wrapped her long arms around him. "Gomez Addams, you are all heart and soul. It's one of the reasons I love you so much. This is not about us, it's about Wednesday and Lucas and the joining of our families. We shouldn't let our emotions take our focus away from them."

"You always know what to say and what to do, carieda," he said, offering her a chaste kiss.

"As for worrying about her, I don't think we need to. He is a good boy and Mal and Alice are fine people. We should be happy it worked out this way."

Gomez nodded. "And we have to do dis for Pugsley, too?"

"Not for many years yet... when he's 40!" she smiled.

"Sounds good to me!" Gomez laughed.


	6. A PROMISE KEPT

Two hours later, they Beineke's arrived and the simple ceremony went off without a hitch. They all enjoyed dinner before the newlyweds headed off to Mozambique on their honeymoon.

A week later, Pugsley came home from school asking to go to the Jersey Shore on his class' summer trip. He'd taken to his new school quite well.

On the surface, the Addams' were all doing wonderfully.

Underneath the facade of the elaborate Gothic mansion, however, the couple was less than happy.

She spent her days actually cleaning out the closets and cabinets to keep busy. He bought some HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR HOME books Mal suggested, planning renovations to their beloved house when not playing with his trains or the stockmarket.

Dinners were quiet. Afterwards, Morticia sat knitting and Gomez stood on his head, reading the New York Times.

One night, she gracefully stood with a deep sigh. A sad smile spread across her lips and she mustered a good night.

"Cara mia," he called out after her. She paused on the grand staircase, turning to watch him come to stand at the bottom and gaze up at her. "We'd better get some rest because tomorrow, we will be going to Paris," he announced proudly.

Her black eyes widened and she smiled her wide, closed mouth smile that melted his heart each time he saw it. "You remembered," she purred, already imagining them on a little boat underneath the streets watching the rats and breathing in the damp, darkly scented air. By now, he'd come up the stairs and was standing only inches from her on the step just below hers.

"You know I never forget a promise," he reminded her, arching his eyebrows and smirking slowly. "I... just had to plan it perfectly, that's all," he shrugged, gently letting his shoulders rise and fall.

"Bubele, you never cease to amaze me," she cooed, turning to continue up the stairs to their boudoir.

"I think this calls for a trip to Heaven to celebrate, non?" he asked.

"Oui," she called, turning her head over her shoulder and winking at him.

He chuckled, licked his lips and hurried up the remaining stairs. "Tish, that's French!"

"So it is..." she giggled as he closed the door behind them.

* * *

I am sorry this was short (but hopefully sweet.) I have to have more time to plan their adventures once they actually get there :-)


	7. Accusations

The Addams Family loved Friday the 13th and had spent quite an evening together. It was now after dinner Saturday, April 14th, 2012. After Lurch prepared a meal of Goat's Head Soup, calamari and Bloody Mary's, they settled in the living room.

Morticia perched on her wicker chair with the high, large back. Gomez sat beside her and opened up the New York Times to read as he puffed on his fresh cigar. Wednesday, Lucas and Pugsley were sitting at their feet, playing hangman. Fester had gone up to the roof to see the Moon. Grandma and Thing were cleaning the kitchen

"How are your parents, Lucas?" Morticia asked happily, looking up from her knitting.

"They're GREAT," Lucas answered, looking up at his mother-in-law. "Mom is happy at Hallmark. It gets her out of the house. The Aquarium is doing well," he shrugged. "I suppose they are really happy again."

"And you like working at the morgue, Wednesday?" Gomez asked, arching his eyebrow and looking affectionately at his daughter.

The young woman nodded. "It's very interesting," she answered.

Just then, the fog-horn door bell resounded through the mansion. Lurch shuffled slowly to answer it.

Gomez laid the paper aside and stood, brushing at his suit coat. "Who is it, my man?" he called out cheerfully.

A groan was his answer.

"The police?" Morticia questioned.

All heads turned to Pugsley. The boy's eyes widened.

"It wasn't me. I didn't do anything... This time," he said, shrugging, his changing voice full of indignant amusement.

Two uniformed officers came into the room. Lurch closed the door behind them and stood ever watchful and waiting in the doorway.

"Good evening," Gomez said, approaching the men, hand outstretched. Both cops ignored it. "What can I help you with?" he asked.

One of the gendarmes eyed the rest of the family as they all stood and approached, honest looks of bewilderment and fear in their eyes.

"Is that your graveyard in the back?" the chubbier policeman asked.

"Yes. It's our ancestors resting place... and where we will rest one day. Many members of our family are buried there," Gomez said proudly, slipping his hands into the pockets of his dress slacks.

"Some kids out causing trouble last night were messing around. They found two bodies... FRESH bodies... Like JUST murdered bodies," the smaller, beady-eyed man explained.

"They said they saw you all out there... A fire, dancing, singing..." the other cop chimed in.

"And you think WE killed those people?" Wednesday asked, latching onto Lucas who embraced her back.

"You got a better idea?" the little cop asked, smirking.


	8. Investigations

First of all, I must say thank you to everyone who has read this story. I am truly shocked at the response it has received! One of my New Years' Resolutions is to get back to my writing. I hope you are not disappointed.

* * *

The Addams' were paraded into Sing Sing Prison like cattle going to slaughter.

Morticia, Wednesday and grand-mamma were sent to the women's wing.

Pugsley was marched to the juvenile wing.

Gomez, Lucas and Fester were processed and tossed into separate interrogation rooms.

None of them had ever been this scared in their lives.

It seemed as if the entire NYPD had been waiting for this day. They had only needed a reason.

Lucas was given his one call. The Beineke's were beside themselves with anger and denial. They were their only hope of getting help and they had no idea of where to start.

While Lucas was speaking with his parents, they began to question Gomez. They slammed the door and slid a picture across the scuffed up wooden table to him. "You know this guy?"

Gomez swallowed hard and looked down at the picture with no intention to joke or lie. The unfortunate young person was laying in an uncovered, unlined, unmarked dirt grave. It was obvious where this scene was, however, because he could clearly see his ancestor Reed Addams' tombstone. He had been killed during a duel in the 1800's. He was at once confused and curious. "I 'ave never seen dis poor man in my life... but dis is my family's graveyard, behind my home in Central Park," he offered. "I do not know 'ow 'e got dare or what 'appened to 'im."

"I thought you'd say that," the chubby officer chuckled. "The name Smith ring a bell?"

Gomez could not resist. "We are in New York City. Every other person in a sea of 12 million people has de name of Smith," he quipped.

The cop stood up, slammed his hands on the desk and leaned forward to be face to face with him. "Don't you get funny with me," he growled.

Meanwhile, Morticia was subjected to a strip search and made to wear an orange jumpsuit. When her paperwork was processed, a female officer named Candy came to begin her investigation.

"You and your family like death, dontcha, Mrs. Addams?" she asked in her think Brooklyn accent.

Morticia gracefully shrugged and folded her arms across her ample chest as she was want to do. "Well, I wouldn't say we LIKE him... He's been to the house for dinner a few times. He and Gomez have played golf together and he cheated on his scorecard. Rather cold fellow. But if by like you mean unafraid, than yes... We "like" death," she said cheerily.

Officer Candy closed her eyes and shook her head slowly.

This was going to be a long case.


End file.
